Any Pilots Here?

[spegull03]

I just took the AFOQT today, I am shooting for a pilot position. hopefully my scores will be competitive. I guess I will know Monday where I stand.

Any pilots here that can give some advice?

[paul0660]

Things that are no good:

Air above you

Runway behind you

Gas on the ground

[valkylrie]

The Three Most Useless things to a pilot:

1: The Runway Behind you!

2: The Air Above you!

3: What you should have done a second ago!

Those seem similar, maybe that's important information?

You didn’t say if you’re looking at flying fixed or rotor wing? Learning to fly is more about attitude then aptitude.

[spegull03]

Preferably fixed, but I don't really care as long as I get picked up haha

[We Are Apocalypse]

I remember when I looked into this. It's tough but not impossible. As I understand, most flight slots go to academy grads, then AFROTC grads and what's left is for the OCS crowd. You may help your chances if you pick up a Private Pilots Certificate. It won't guarantee anything but it wouldn't hurt. If you are in college still, you can do PLC with the Marines and get a guaranteed flight slot, provided you meet all the other requirements. I probably wouldn't waste time on a PP Cert if you went the PLC route as I understand they'd rather you go in knowing nothing about flight.

[glbtrottr]

Garbage.

You will get a flying position, and fixed or rotary, depending on the needs of the service. If mother Marine Corps needs more jet pilots and you want a whirly bird, unless you're first in your class, you get to burn kerosene.

If she's all full up on fixed and she has a bunch of needs to fulfill a number of cobra squadrons, get ready.

If you are dead set on flying and don't care to finish college, the Army will give you a warrant officer commission and go fly rotaries.

Sometimes, the navy was so behind on their pilot recruitment, they had the NAVCAD program - the Marine Corps hasn't had any non-officer flight positions since 1981/1983 that I recall.

The Air Force is, well, the air force.

There's a long road to hoe from getting good scores to getting behind a yoke. You have to remain in exceptional shape through OCS - unlike Marine Corps boot camp where they will willingly train you to get into shape, to be a leader, the Marine Corps expects you to already be in shape and lead, or drop on request.

Then, there's 6 months of The Basic School, before you can even begin Flight School.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/forum.php

http://www.navygouge.com/

and....

http://www.neptunuslex.com/2004/01/09/the-worst-day-ever/

[kellito]

^ Have something against the AF?

[Fspeed]

http://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/index.php?/forum/8-what-are-my-chances

Lots of info here.

[6172crew]

I have a Pilots ticket, and was a CH46E crew chief. I applied for the Army WO program but ended up in the hospital before completing the package.

I have 1000+ hrs as a crew member
About 10 hours in the left seat of the 46 and about the same about of sim time in the 53E.

If you really want some stick time Id look into the Army's WO program. I met a WO from the 160th while at WTI and his flight hours were pretty close to mine each month. After 500 hours in the back I was pretty bored unless it was a gun run.

I did get a few rescues at 29 stumps, saved 2 guys from heat...one was a Brit Marine. They had him naked as a Jay bird on a stretcher and I was pouring water over him enroute. When the 2 female Navy corpsman came on board they just stopped and stared at his beans. The other crew chief had to yell at them to get with the program. Both of their faces were beat red, my guess they were 18 years old and never seen an uncircumcised guy with an afro between his legs.

Not sure why I told that story. but the US Marine wing is a great place but youre gone most of the time and work minimum 10 hour days.

[cgseanp1]

I have a Pilots ticket, and was a CH46E crew chief. I applied for the Army WO program but ended up in the hospital before completing the package.

I have 1000+ hrs as a crew member
About 10 hours in the left seat of the 46 and about the same about of sim time in the 53E.

If you really want some stick time Id look into the Army's WO program. I met a WO from the 160th while at WTI and his flight hours were pretty close to mine each month. After 500 hours in the back I was pretty bored unless it was a gun run.

I did get a few rescues at 29 stumps, saved 2 guys from heat...one was a Brit Marine. They had him naked as a Jay bird on a stretcher and I was pouring water over him enroute. When the 2 female Navy corpsman came on board they just stopped and stared at his beans. The other crew chief had to yell at them to get with the program. Both of their faces were beat red, my guess they were 18 years old and never seen an uncircumcised guy with an afro between his legs.

Not sure why I told that story. but the US Marine wing is a great place but youre gone most of the time and work minimum 10 hour days.

haha

[We Are Apocalypse]

Garbage.

You will get a flying position, and fixed or rotary, depending on the needs of the service. If mother Marine Corps needs more jet pilots and you want a whirly bird, unless you're first in your class, you get to burn kerosene.

If she's all full up on fixed and she has a bunch of needs to fulfill a number of cobra squadrons, get ready.

If you are dead set on flying and don't care to finish college, the Army will give you a warrant officer commission and go fly rotaries.

Sometimes, the navy was so behind on their pilot recruitment, they had the NAVCAD program - the Marine Corps hasn't had any non-officer flight positions since 1981/1983 that I recall.

The Air Force is, well, the air force.

There's a long road to hoe from getting good scores to getting behind a yoke. You have to remain in exceptional shape through OCS - unlike Marine Corps boot camp where they will willingly train you to get into shape, to be a leader, the Marine Corps expects you to already be in shape and lead, or drop on request.

Then, there's 6 months of The Basic School, before you can even begin Flight School.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/forum.php

http://www.navygouge.com/

and....

http://www.neptunuslex.com/2004/01/0...orst-day-ever/

What part was garbage? I told him the exact same thing about the Marines you did, he could get a flight slot, I never said he'd get jets.

[spegull03]

Well my scores were not as high as I had hoped, I am kinda in the middle ground. 95/84/80/86/67. I don't know if I should forge ahead or withdraw until I can take the test over in 6 months...

[Rem1492]

I am a USAF pilot training instructor. I did ROTC in socal and went to CSULB.
I flew most planes up at Edwards and got a feel for what I liked. Low to the ground stuff. So out of pilot training I chose the C-130. Now as my next base I teach students to get their wings. There are always changes in the pilot program and entrance requirements are always changing.

The AFOQT, GPA and ROTC commanders rating all weigh in. Some of my buds did really poorly on the AFOQT and still got pilot slots and to this day, fly great and look great too.
I would give commanders rating the highest value, if he thinks you are irresponsible, he wont waste a pilot slot on you.

Are you in ROTC? Not sure what path you're on.

As it stands, if you really really want fighters, the Navy is the way to go. USAF is dropping fewer and fewer fighter slots. Big blue is really ramping up UAV slots big time. In no time at all we will have unmanned transports with unmanned Fighter/Bombers as escorts. If you want strategic,tactical or long range refueling, then USAF is surely the way to go.

If you want choppers, Navy and Army are sure bets.

Dont focus too much on the AFOQT scores, each year pilot slots go up and down, so if there is no slot for you this year, perhaps next will be better.

Consider the Coast Guard as well, a VERY good choice for lifestyle.

If you got other Qs just pm me.

[glbtrottr]

As I understand, most flight slots go to academy grads, then AFROTC grads and what's left is for the OCS crowd. ... I probably wouldn't waste time on a PP Cert if you went the PLC route as I understand they'd rather you go in knowing nothing about flight.

^ ^ ^

That part.

Specific to USN/USMC, the above statement can skew in various direction without regard to your graduating school.

Second, the success of a person holding a Private Pilot ticket varies by individual skillset. Making a blanket statement of "having no bad habits" prior to flight school is just...ignorant.

[glbtrottr]

reply

^ Have something against the AF?

Not really - I actually started out as a Civil Air Patrol guy and actually thought I'd go AF - ended up going USMC.

I just don't have any good gouge on the AF...